If you haven't heard, the newest form of transportation to be offered. These things are great. They were unveiled on Good Morning America this morning by the inventor Dean Kamen. You can read about it here:The Unveiling If you can see one being demonstrated, try and catch it. It boggles the mind how these things move.
Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
Saw it this morning and said to myself, "should be great in city traffic" Do ya think auto insurance will be combined with life insurance and do ya think other drivers will respect ya?
Posted by Bob Gilliland (Member # 28) on :
John,
Back in January a post was titled What is IT? with a few guessing what It would be. Looking over that post confirms I wasn’t close to IT, but Brad Farha was in the right mindset for IT!
Looks like the pinstripe guys will have the market on these pups, as I don’t see much room for company logo’s. (just yet anyway)
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Does it come with snow tires, and an umbrella?
hard to tip over or fall off??? yeah! Sure! Try riding it down the sidewalk in some large city and bump into a fat lady! A whack on the back of the head with her purse will knock ya for a loop!
Posted by Mark Fair Signs (Member # 289) on :
that is great john!
i was just sittin' here wondering how i was gonna install a ladder rack on that thing?
heeheeheehee
mark
Posted by Jeffrey Vrstal (Member # 2271) on :
It might be hard to drive this thing while drinking a hot cup of coffee AND yacking on the cell phone. Thank god I don't wear makeup!
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Wasn't that thing called a Yugo just 15 years ago? Remember what happened to it back then.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Gimme one of those suckers... I'll have it ripped apart and tweaked out to 45 MPH in no time! =)
Gyros or not, I'll find a way to tip it over.
Posted by Santo (Member # 411) on :
I wonder how may cities are going to change their laws to allow people to ride in the traffic. How are they going to licence that thing. For 3 grand give me a MX bike.
Posted by Mark Smith (Member # 298) on :
Laugh all you want, I WANT ONE! I think a self-balancing scooter is the COOLEST idea.
Posted by Tasmus (Member # 445) on :
iT LOOKS COOL TO ME TOO.... but I think there are some practical drawbacks. I don't see comuting to work on one of these....kamen should go back to the drawing board and come up with something a little closer to a car. Talking, eating, and driving is something that all of us have to contend with at some point....
I would like to play with one, but that is a far cry from practical applications.
I hear the postal service is gonna use em though....
man that dark humour side of me has visions of crazy postmen, automatic weapons, and IT!!
"lookout Ma, it's a rampaging SEGWAY!!! AHHH!"
hahaha
err. whatever. Barry
Posted by John Deaton III (Member # 925) on :
All things have drawbacks. They are talking that countries like Asia could really benefit from these due to high population. And areas that are congested could be a lot less congested if more people used things like this. Kamen is a genius, having already invented the insulin pump, the Kamen stint for heart patients including Dick Cheney, and the wheelchair that will go over about anything, even up and down stairs. Thing is, Americans are basically lazy and spoiled to a point. If it don't have air, custom stereo, reclining seats,etc. they want no part of it. I see these being used at colleges, large factories, and places like Disneyland and Dollywood for their workers. Give Kamen time though, and he'll come up with things that will boggle the mind. Like Mark Smith, I think these things are not only cool, but a heck of a step in the right direction. Next, a feasible electric auto, or maybe one with a sterling engine. Now that would be coooool.
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
I think the thing would be a fun thing to have...BUT up here in the Great White North I sure wouldn't be using one in the middle of January! Posted by VICTORGEORGIOU (Member # 474) on :
Be thankful MicroSoft did not design it. You'd be cruising along 12-18 mph and the program would crash. You could reboot it while you're putting band aids on your nose.
Posted by Mikes Mischeif (Member # 1744) on :
I'm on the drawing board to put the retro rotor blades on it for cutting the grass.
....I can see me dog now, looking at me with that tilted head, puzzeld look in his eye.....
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
How about a really tall one for painting walls and sign installations?
Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :
Kamen has a local connexion around here. Some years ago he bought a thirty-acre island in Fishers Island Sound, known as North Dumpling, with an abandoned lighthouse on it. His plan was to erect a wind generator, but the State of New York in its infinite idiocy refused to grant its permission. Kamen built his windmill anyway, then "seceded" from New York and declared his island the Independent Republic of North Dumpling, with himself as leader ("Lord Dumpling"), its own currency (the Dumpling) and a navy consisting of a refurbished Marine Corps amphibious vehicle. A friend of mine worked as his live-in maintenance man and troubleshooter for the wind generator and other high-tech equipment. As far as I know Kamen still owns North Dumpling; the "Navy" is still on the beach and the windmill still works.
Posted by Stephen Broughton (Member # 2237) on :
COR!! What a waste of money, I seem to remember a guy inventing a simmilar thing here in the UK. His name was Clive Sinclair and it was called the C5, it looked a bit like a recumbent cycle 3 wheeler one in front. It bombed completely, 12 miles an hour try a bicycle, when I lived in London the average speed of traffic was 11mph I can do 25-30 easily on me old Stumpjumper and its cheap to run, bacon & egg sandwiches & pints of tea can't carry many 8x2's though.
